United Airlines Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, provides air transportation services in North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America. The company transports people and cargo through its mainline and regional fleets. It also offers catering, ground handling, flight academy, and maintenance services for third parties. The company was formerly known as United Continental Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to United Airlines Holdings, Inc. in June 2019. United Airlines Holdings, Inc. was incorporated in 1968 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.

United Airlines Holdings, Inc.

United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) is all set to make a comeback to Tel Aviv, Israel, from both Chicago O'Hare and Washington Dulles international airports. This flight resumption reflects the first time UAL has operated these flights since 2023.
While flights from Chicago are set to start from Nov. 1, 2025, and will operate four times per week, flights from Washington D.C. are scheduled to start from Nov. 2 and will operate three times per week.
Patrick Quayle, UAL’s senior vice president of Global Network Planning and Alliances, stated, "The resumption of these flights underscores United's longstanding commitment to Tel Aviv."
At present, UAL serves two daily flights between Tel Aviv and Newark/New York, and has flown more to Tel Aviv this year than any other U.S. airline.
We would like to remind investors that UAL already serves more flights to Tel Aviv compared to any other U.S. airline, and this resumption of services positions UAL as the only airline to fly between Tel Aviv and both Chicago and Washington D.C.
We believe such a strategic business move to resume services should strengthen the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock’sposition in the airline industry globally.
Apart from this comeback plan, UAL has been in the news due to its newly announced expanded winter schedule. As part of its expanded winter schedule, United Airlines aims to add flights to 15 cities, including Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas. Currently, UAL serves more than 225 U.S. cities and operates more than 4,000 domestic flights per day on average. This latest schedule expansion brings the count to 45 flights per day to Orlando, 30 to Fort Lauderdale and 43 to Las Vegas.
Over the past three months, shares of UAL have gained 29.5% compared with the 13.5% rise of the Zacks Airline industry it belongs to.
UAL Stock Three-Month Price Comparison
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Stocks to Consider
Investors interested in the Transportation sector can consider LATAM Airlines Group LTM and SkyWest SKYW. Each stock presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
LATAM’s focus on premium traffic presents significant opportunities for revenue growth and margin expansion. LTM stands to benefit from its lean cost structure, expanding operations and strategic partnerships.
LTM has an expected earnings growth rate of 45% for the current year. The company has a mixed earnings surprise history. Its earnings outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters, missed once and met in the remaining one, delivering an average beat of 4.04%.
SkyWest has an expected earnings growth rate of 28.06% for the current year. The company has an encouraging earnings surprise history. Its earnings topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, delivering an average beat of 21.92%.
SkyWest's fleet-modernization efforts are commendable. By 2028-end, SKYW is scheduled to have nearly 300 E175 aircraft. A solid balance sheet allows SKYW to reward its shareholders in the form of share buybacks.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

United Airlines Gears Up to Restart Its Services to Tel Aviv

In a bid to broaden its network, Allegiant Travel Company (ALGT) is introducing three new nonstop routes, which will connect five cities nationwide, along with offering new service to Burbank, CA, via Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR).
Effective February 2026, the routes will offer new low-cost travel options with one-way fares as low as $39. Tickets for all newly announced routes, including these limited flights, are now available. Flight days, times and the lowest fares can be found at Allegiant.com.
Drew Wells, Allegiant's chief commercial officer, stated, "We're thrilled to expand our network from coast to coast and look forward to bringing our brand of service to Burbank, California. This growth underscores our commitment to providing leisure travelers with more options to reach the destinations they love and strengthens our position as a leader in offering value-oriented air service."
Let’s discuss the three new nonstop routes in detail.
The new routes connecting Burbank, CA, via Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR) and the following cities are: Bellingham, WA, via Bellingham International Airport (BLI) comes with one-way fares as low as $49 and Provo, UT, via Provo Airport (PVU) comes with one-way fares as low as $39.
The new route connecting Chattanooga, TN, via Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport (CHA) and Fort Lauderdale/Miami, FL, via Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) comes with one-way fares as low as $49.
All of the aforesaid three new non-stop routes are effective from Feb. 12, 2026.
For the introductory one-way fares, it is advisable to book tickets by Sept. 10, 2025, for travel by May 19, 2026.
ALGT is focused on expanding its network and strengthening its presence in the travel industry by offering budget-friendly nonstop services between cities. The inclusion of these new routes is expected to enhance this Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) stockposition in the airline industry globally.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Route Expansion Plans of Other Airline Companies
ALGT is not the sole U.S. airline to expand its international network. Recently, United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) announced its winter expansion schedule with the addition of flights to 15 cities, including Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Las Vegas.
The routes include one additional daily round-trip flight between Houston and Orlando, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Baltimore and Miami; Chicago and Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, New Orleans and Las Vegas; Newark/New York and Orlando and Fort Lauderdale; Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Additionally, two new routes between Newark/New York and Columbia, SC, and Chattanooga, TN; three new weekly flights between Houston and Guatemala City, Guatemala and San Salvador, El Salvador, and one new weekly flight between Houston and San Pedro Sula, Honduras will be offered.
Apart from the routes above, UAL plans to offer extra services between Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles and operate larger aircraft between Chicago and New York LaGuardia to connect customers outside of UAL’s hubs to these added flights.
All the new flights are set to start services from Jan. 6, 2026.
On Sept. 4, 2025,Frontier Airlines ULCC announced plans to launch 22 new routes in the latter part of 2025, expanding services across the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. The new routes, which are expected to begin in November and December 2025, include new services from Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago and more in the United States. New international routes to destinations in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico are also included. The new routes also mark Frontier’s arrival atProvidenciales International Airport in the Turks and Caicos (PLS) and its comeback to Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, The Bahamas (NAS).
Southwest Airlines (LUV) has extended its flight schedule through June 3, 2026. The extended schedule includes more routes to new places. As part of the expansion, Southwest Airlines will operate flights to the island of St. Maarten, beginning April 7, 2026. The addition of St. Maarten marks LUV’s first new international destination since 2021. St. Maarten comprises two parts: the Netherlands' constituent country of Sint Maarten, alongside the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Martin. Southwest Airlines also announced an interline partnership with EVA Air, a subsidiary of the Evergreen Group, to expand seamless travel between Asia and North America. EVA Air is the third airline partner to be announced by the Dallas-based LUV.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Allegiant to Launch New Nonstop Flights for Boosting Connectivity

United Airlines (UAL) closed at $107.77 in the latest trading session, marking a +1.11% move from the prior day. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.21% gain on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.25%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.45%.
Prior to today's trading, shares of the airline had gained 19.38% outpaced the Transportation sector's gain of 2.21% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.07%.
The upcoming earnings release of United Airlines will be of great interest to investors. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $2.65, signifying a 20.42% drop compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $15.26 billion, up 2.8% from the year-ago period.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $10.27 per share and revenue of $58.83 billion. These totals would mark changes of -3.2% and +3.1%, respectively, from last year.
Investors should also pay attention to any latest changes in analyst estimates for United Airlines. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the business and profitability.
Research indicates that these estimate revisions are directly correlated with near-term share price momentum. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, stretching from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), has a noteworthy track record of outperforming, validated by third-party audits, with stocks rated #1 producing an average annual return of +25% since the year 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has witnessed an unchanged state. United Airlines is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
With respect to valuation, United Airlines is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 10.38. Its industry sports an average Forward P/E of 10.81, so one might conclude that United Airlines is trading at a discount comparatively.
Meanwhile, UAL's PEG ratio is currently 1.38. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. By the end of yesterday's trading, the Transportation - Airline industry had an average PEG ratio of 0.81.
The Transportation - Airline industry is part of the Transportation sector. With its current Zacks Industry Rank of 49, this industry ranks in the top 20% of all industries, numbering over 250.
The Zacks Industry Rank evaluates the power of our distinct industry groups by determining the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks forming the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

United Airlines (UAL) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know

In the past week, JetBlue Airways’ JBLU management stated that booking trends were impressive throughout the peak summer season. As a result, the low-cost carrier gave an improved view for capacity growth and operating revenue per available seat mile (RASM) for the September quarter. Meanwhile, United Airlines UAL expanded its winter schedule with the addition of flights to 15 cities.
An expansion update from Alaska Airlines, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Alaska Air Group ALK, was also available in the past week. European carrier Ryanair Holdings RYAAY reported impressive traffic numbers for the month of August, driven by upbeat air travel demand. Mexican carrier Controladora Vuela Compania de Aviacion VLRS, also known as Volaris, carried 4% more passengers in August than a year ago.
A traffic-related update was also present in the previous week’s write-up.
Recap of the Latest Top Stories
1 JetBlue now anticipates available seat miles (ASMs) for the third quarter to be flat to up 1% year over year compared with the prior guidance of down 1% to up 2%. Further, JBLU anticipates third-quarter operating revenue per ASM (RASM) to decline in the range of 1.5%-4% year over year, an improvement from the prior outlook of 2%-6% decrease.
Consistency in air travel demand continued from the summer season through August and the Labor Day holiday, all of which was reflected in the rising number of bookings within 14 days of travel. Strong operational performance during August, in addition to the carrier’s cost management actions, aided JBLU’s non-fuel unit costs. JBLU now expects third-quarter costs per available seat mile (excluding fuel and special items) to increase in the range of 3.5-5.5%, down from the prior expectation of a 4%-6% increase.
2. As part of its expanded winter schedule, United Airlines aims to add flights to 15 cities, including Orlando, Fort Lauderdale and Las Vegas. Currently, UAL serves more than 225 U.S. cities and operates more than 4,000 domestic flights per day on average. This latest schedule expansion brings the count to 45 flights per day to Orlando, 30 to Fort Lauderdale and 43 to Las Vegas.
3. Alaska Airlines is set to enhance its international footprint with the launch of a new nonstop service from Seattle to Reykjavík, Iceland, beginning May 28, 2026. This expansion-oriented move not only provides passengers with access to Iceland’s natural wonders but also reinforces Alaska’s role as a global connector from the U.S. West Coast.
Through its expanded partnership with Icelandair (Iceland’s flagship carrier), the airline will offer seamless onward connections to multiple European destinations under a single ticket, underscoring Alaska’s growing ambition to compete in the transatlantic market.
4. In August. VLRS reported a 4.7% year-over-year increase in consolidated capacity (measured in available seat miles). Consolidated traffic, measured in revenue passenger-miles (RPM), grew 1.9% year over year. Although traffic improved on a year-over-year basis, it failed to outpace capacity expansion. As a result, the load factor decreased 2.3 percentage points year over year to 84.7%.
5. In August, Ryanair transported 21 million passengers, representing a 2% year-over-year increase. Apart from a year-over-year surge, RYAAY’s August traffic also reflects a straight eight-month improvement at a stretch from the beginning of 2025. The August load factor of 96% remained flat on a year-over-year and sequential basis, reflecting consistent passenger demand for the airline's services. During August 2025, RYAAY operated more than 114,000 flights. Ryanair currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Performance
The following table shows the price movement of the major airline players over the past week and during the last six months.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The table above shows that most airline stocks traded in the red over the past week. However, the losses were muted in nature. The NYSE ARCA Airline Index declined marginally to $67.53. Over the course of the past six months, the NYSE ARCA Airline Index increased by 8%.
What's Next in the Airline Space?
With carriers like UAL, scheduled to participate in the Morgan Stanley Laguna Conference on Sept. 11, 2025, investors will keenly await updates. A few August traffic reports are also expected in the coming days.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Airline Stock Roundup: JBLU's Bullish Q3 View, RYAAY & UAL in Focus

In a bid to broaden its network,United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) is expanding its winter schedule with the addition of flights to 15 cities, including Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, and Las Vegas.
The routes include one additional daily round-trip flight between Houston and Orlando, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Atlanta, Baltimore and Miami; Chicago and Orlando, Fort Lauderdale, New Orleans and Las Vegas; Newark/New York and Orlando and Fort Lauderdale; Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Additionally, two new routes between Newark/New York and Columbia, SC, and Chattanooga, TN; three new weekly flights between Houston and Guatemala City, Guatemala and San Salvador, El Salvador, and one new weekly flight between Houston and San Pedro Sula, Honduras will be offered.
Apart from the routes above, UAL plans to offer extra services between Houston, Chicago and Los Angeles and operate larger aircraft between Chicago and New York LaGuardia to connect customers outside of UAL’s hubs to these added flights.
All the new flights are set to start services from Jan. 6, 2026.
Patrick Quayle, UAL’s senior vice president of Global Network Planning and Alliances, stated, "If Spirit suddenly goes out of business it will be incredibly disruptive, so we're adding these flights to give their customers other options if they want or need them."
Currently, UAL serves more than 225 U.S. cities and operates more than 4,000 domestic flights per day on average. This latest schedule expansion brings the count to 45 flights per day to Orlando, 30 to Fort Lauderdale and 43 to Las Vegas, which will be served by United Airlines. This further strengthens the Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock’sposition in the airline industry globally. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Route Expansion Plans of Other Airline Companies
UAL is not the sole U.S. airline to expand its international network. Recently, Frontier Airlines ULCC announced plans to launch 22 new routes in the latter part of 2025, expanding services across the United States, the Caribbean and Latin America. The new routes, which are expected to begin in November and December 2025, include new services from Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, and more in the United States. New international routes to destinations in Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico are also included. The new routes also mark Frontier’s arrival atProvidenciales International Airport in the Turks and Caicos (PLS) and its come back to Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau, The Bahamas (NAS).
Southwest Airlines (LUV) has extended its flight schedule through June 3, 2026. The extended schedule includes more routes to new places. As part of the expansion, Southwest Airlines will operate flights to the island of St. Maarten, beginning April 7, 2026. The addition of St. Maarten marks LUV’s first new international destination since 2021. St. Maarten comprises two parts: the Netherlands' constituent country of Sint Maarten, alongside the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Martin. Southwest Airlines also announced an interline partnership with EVA Air, a subsidiary of the Evergreen Group, to expand seamless travel between Asia and North America. EVA Air is the third airline partner to be announced by the Dallas-based LUV.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

United Airlines Gears Up to Welcome Winter With Additional Flights

On Aug. 14, 2025, United Airlines Holdings (NASDAQ:UAL) Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations Kate Gebo reported the sale of 36,296 shares of the company in multiple open-market transactions on Aug. 12, 2025, totaling approximately $3.5 million.
Transaction summary
Shares traded
36,296
Transaction value
$3,543,618.30
Post-transaction shares
114,602
Post-transaction value
$11,284,858.94
1-year performance
139.9%
Transaction value is based on the SEC Form 4 reported price of $97.63. post-transaction value based on Aug. 12, 2025 market close price of $98.47.”
Key questions
How significant was the transaction relative to Gebo's recent trading history?
The sale of 36,296 shares is slightly above Gebo's median sell size of 35,000 shares since April 18, 2024. The Aug. 12 transactions represented 24.05% of her holdings at the time, exceeding her recent median of 18.83% per sale.
What do post-transaction holdings indicate about remaining ownership?
After the sale, Gebo retains 114,602 shares, valued at approximately $11.3 million as of Aug. 12, 2025, based on the closing share price that day. This represents about 0.04% of United Airlines Holdings' outstanding shares as of the Aug. 14, 2025, SEC filing.
How does the sale align with the company's recent share price performance?
The transaction occurred at a share price of $97.63, following a period when United Airlines Holdings delivered a 137.5% total return in the 12 months prior.
Does the pattern of recent sales reflect available capacity or a shift in trading approach?
The increased proportion of holdings sold in this transaction is explained by Gebo's reduced base of available shares, following prior sales that have cumulatively reduced her holdings by 46.9% since April 2024. As such, the larger percentages per transaction are a function of diminished remaining capacity rather than a discretionary change in trading strategy.
Company overview
Market capitalization
$32.67 billion
Revenue (TTM)
$57.99 billion
Net income (TTM)
$3.31 billion
1-year price change
137.5%
* 1-year price change calculated using Aug. 12, 2025, as the reference date.
Company snapshot
Provides passenger and cargo air transportation services, as well as ancillary offerings such as catering, ground handling, training, and maintenance for third parties.
Generates revenue primarily through ticket sales, cargo transport, and service contracts, leveraging a global route network and diversified fleet.
Serves individual travelers and freight customers throughout North America, Asia, Europe, Africa, the Pacific, the Middle East, and Latin America.
United Airlines Holdings operates as a leading global airline, with a broad international footprint and a comprehensive service portfolio. Its competitive edge lies in its diversified offerings and ability to serve a wide range of markets through both mainline and regional fleets.
Foolish take
United Airlines Executive Vice President of Human Resources and Labor Relations Kate Gebo recently sold shares worth about $3.5 million, leaving her and her spouse holding a total of 114,602 shares worth about $11.8 million at the time of this writing. This sale came a few days after board member Barney Harford also sold a significant amount of stock.
It also came a couple of weeks after United Airlines' flight attendants overwhelmingly rejected a new labor deal. A new round of contract negotiations has been scheduled to get underway in December.
If you believe in reading in the tea leaves of insider trades, then these developments could easily be put together to form a negative narrative, not least as growth expectations have already been pared back across the airline industry this year due to the uncertainty created by President Donald Trump's tariffs.
That said, United is one of the better-placed airlines, and the industry appears to be acting in a disciplined manner by cutting back on capacity as demand for tickets wanes. United's loyalty programs and co-branded credit cards continue to engender customer engagement and generate income. As such, this airline is better able to cushion itself from the blows of rising airport fees and taxes than low-cost carriers are, making it one of the best stocks to buy in the sector.
Glossary
Insider transaction: The buying or selling of a company's securities by its executives, directors, or significant shareholders.
Open-market transaction: A trade executed on a public exchange, rather than through private arrangements or company programs.
Form 4: A required SEC filing that discloses insider trades of company stock by officers, directors, or major shareholders.
Median sell size: The middle value of share amounts sold in a series of insider transactions, used to measure typical sale size.
Outstanding shares: The total number of a company's shares currently held by all shareholders, including insiders and the public.
Total return: The investment's price change plus all dividends and distributions, assuming those payouts are reinvested.
Material equity exposure: A significant ownership stake in a company, often used to indicate meaningful alignment with shareholder interests.
Ancillary offerings: Additional services provided by a company beyond its core business, such as catering or maintenance.
Regional fleet: Aircraft operated on shorter routes, often by partner airlines, to serve smaller markets.
TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Another Insider Sells United Airlines Stock

Looking at options trading activity among components of the Russell 3000 index, there is noteworthy activity today in 3M Co (Symbol: MMM), where a total volume of 14,247 contracts has been traded thus far today, a contract volume which is representative of approximately 1.4 million underlying shares (given that every 1 contract represents 100 underlying shares). That number works out to 42.5% of MMM's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 3.4 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $125 strike call option expiring September 19, 2025, with 3,250 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 325,000 underlying shares of MMM. Below is a chart showing MMM's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $125 strike highlighted in orange:
United Airlines Holdings Inc (Symbol: UAL) options are showing a volume of 21,639 contracts thus far today. That number of contracts represents approximately 2.2 million underlying shares, working out to a sizeable 42.3% of UAL's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 5.1 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $75 strike put option expiring September 19, 2025, with 1,590 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 159,000 underlying shares of UAL. Below is a chart showing UAL's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $75 strike highlighted in orange:
And Mastercard Inc (Symbol: MA) options are showing a volume of 10,964 contracts thus far today. That number of contracts represents approximately 1.1 million underlying shares, working out to a sizeable 41.8% of MA's average daily trading volume over the past month, of 2.6 million shares. Particularly high volume was seen for the $605 strike call option expiring August 22, 2025, with 745 contracts trading so far today, representing approximately 74,500 underlying shares of MA. Below is a chart showing MA's trailing twelve month trading history, with the $605 strike highlighted in orange:
For the various different available expirations for MMM options, UAL options, or MA options, visit StockOptionsChannel.com.
Also see:
Technology Stocks Hedge Funds Are Buying
DO shares outstanding history
Top Ten Hedge Funds Holding CTG
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Notable Friday Option Activity: MMM, UAL, MA

The S&P 500 Index ($SPX) (SPY) on Thursday closed down by -0.40%, the Dow Jones Industrials Index ($DOWI) (DIA) closed down by -0.34%, and the Nasdaq 100 Index ($IUXX) (QQQ) closed down by -0.46%. September E-mini S&P futures (ESU25) fell -0.40%, and September E-mini Nasdaq futures (NQU25) fell -0.45%.
Stock indexes settled lower on Thursday, with the Dow Jones Industrials falling to a 1-week low. Concerns about consumer spending weighed on stocks after Walmart reported weaker-than-expected Q2 EPS. Also, higher bond yields undercut stocks, with the 10-year T-note yield climbing +4 bp to 4.33% on hawkish Fed comments and stronger-than-expected manufacturing and existing home sales reports.
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Thursday’s weekly US jobless claims report showed a weaker labor market. US weekly initial unemployment claims rose by +11,000 to a 2-month high of 235,000, showing a weaker labor market than expectations of an increase to 225,000. Weekly continuing claims rose +30,000 to a 3.75-year high of 1.972 million, higher than expectations of 1.960 million, showing people out of work are finding it harder to land a new job.
The US Aug Philadelphia Fed business outlook survey fell -16.2 to -0.3, weaker than expectations of 6.5.
The US Aug S&P manufacturing PMI unexpectedly rose +4.5 to a 3-year high of 53.3, better than expectations of a decline to 49.7.
US July existing home sales unexpectedly rose +2.0% m/m to 4.01 million, stronger than expectations of -0.3% m/m to 3.92 million.
Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid said inflation risks are marginally higher than risks to the labor market, and “modestly restrictive” monetary policy is still appropriate.
Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack said, “We have inflation that’s too high and has been trending upwards over the past year. With the information I have, if the FOMC meeting were tomorrow, I would not see a case for reducing interest rates.”
On the geopolitical front, US Vice President Vance said negotiations over ending Russia’s war in Ukraine are focused on security guarantees for Ukraine and territory Russia wants to control, including Ukrainian territory that it currently isn’t occupying, as the US tries to broker a peace deal between the two countries. The US is working to set up a meeting between President Putin and Zelensky, and if that meeting goes well, President Trump said he’ll look to follow up with a trilateral summit with the leaders. The outcome of the negotiations could have macroeconomic implications regarding tariffs and oil prices, and could, of course, have significant consequences for European security.
The focus of the markets this week will be on any new tariff news and signs of progress toward a Ukraine peace deal. On Friday, Fed Chair Powell speaks on the economic outlook at the Federal Reserve’s annual symposium at Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Regarding tariffs, President Trump widened steel and aluminum tariffs to include more than 400 consumer items that contain the metals, such as motorcycles, auto parts, furniture components, and tableware. The change went into effect on Monday and did not exclude goods already in transit. Last Friday, Mr. Trump said, “I’ll be setting tariffs next week and the week after on steel and on, I would say chips – chips and semiconductors, we’ll be setting sometime next week, week after.” Mr. Trump last week said he planned a 100% tariff on semiconductors but would exempt companies that move chip manufacturing to the US. Mr. Trump also mentioned 200% or 300% tariffs on chips.
In other recent tariff news, Mr. Trump last Tuesday extended the tariff truce with China for another 90 days until November. On August 6, Mr. Trump announced that he will double tariffs on US imports from India to 50% from the current 25% tariff, due to India’s purchases of Russian oil. On August 5, Mr. Trump said that US tariffs on pharmaceutical imports would be announced “within the next week or so.” According to Bloomberg Economics, the average US tariff will rise to 15.2% if rates are implemented as announced, up from 13.3% earlier, and significantly higher than the 2.3% in 2024 before the tariffs were announced.
Federal funds futures prices are discounting the chances for a -25 bp rate cut at 72% at the September 16-17 FOMC meeting, down from 93% last Thursday. The markets are discounting the chances at 49% for a second -25 bp rate cut at the following meeting on October 28-29.
Earnings reports indicate that S&P 500 earnings for Q2 are on track to rise +9.1% y/y, much better than the pre-season expectations of +2.8% y/y and the most in four years, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. With over 93% of S&P 500 firms having reported Q2 earnings, about 83% of companies exceeded profit estimates.
Overseas stock markets on Thursday settled mixed. The Euro Stoxx 50 closed down -0.19%. China’s Shanghai Composite rallied to a new 10-year high and closed up +0.13%. Japan’s Nikkei Stock 225 fell to a 1-week low and closed down -0.65%.
Interest Rates
September 10-year T-notes (ZNU5) on Thursday closed down -10 ticks, and the 10-year T-note yield rose +3.7 bp to 4.328%. Sep T-notes were under pressure Thursday on hawkish Fed comments. Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid said “modestly restrictive” monetary policy is still appropriate due to inflation risks, and Cleveland Fed President Beth Hammack said she does not favor cutting interest rates. T-notes added to their losses today after the Aug S&P manufacturing PMI expanded by the most in three years and after July existing home sales unexpectedly increased.
T-notes saw support from Fed-friendly US economic news that showed weekly jobless claims rose more than expected to a 2-month high, and the Aug Philadelphia Fed business outlook survey fell more than expected.
Fed Governor Lisa Cook said she intends to remain at the Fed despite calls from President Trump for her to resign over allegations that she committed mortgage fraud. If Cook is fired or resigns, Mr. Trump could appoint another Fed Governor who favors his lower interest rate policies.
European government bond yields on Thursday moved higher. The 10-year German bund yield rose +4.0 bp to 2.757%. The 10-year UK gilt yield rose +5.7 bp to 4.729%.
The Eurozone Aug S&P manufacturing PMI unexpectedly rose +0.7 to 50.5, stronger than expectations of a decline to 49.5 and the fastest pace of expansion in 3 years. The Aug composite PMI unexpectedly rose +0.2 to a 15-month high of 51.1, stronger than expectations of a decline to 50.6.
The Eurozone Aug consumer confidence index fell -0.8 to a 4-month low of -15.5, weaker than expectations of no change at -14.7.
Swaps are discounting the chances at 3% for a -25 bp rate cut by the ECB at the September 11 policy meeting.
US Stock Movers
Walmart (WMT) closed down more than -4% to lead losers in the Dow Jones Industrials after reporting Q2 adjusted ESP of 68 cents, weaker than the consensus of 74 cents. Costco Wholesale (COST) also closed down more than -2% on the news to lead losers in the Nasdaq 100.
SharkNinja Inc. (SN) closed down -3% after Chairman Wang sold 5 million shares in an overnight registered block trade between $116 and $118 per share.
Gilead Sciences (GILD) closed down more than -2% after Reuters reported that CVS Health declined to add the company’s HIV prevention shot to its drug coverage lists.
Airline stocks were under pressure Thursday after crude oil prices rallied to a 2-week high, which boosts jet fuel costs and lowers airlines’ profits. As a result, United Airlines Holdings (UAL) and Delta Air Lines (DAL) closed down more than -2%, and American Airlines Group (AAL) and Alaska Air Group (ALK) closed down more than -1%.
Maplebear Inc (CART) closed down more than -2% after Wedbush downgraded the stock to underperform from neutral with a price target of $42.
Monday.com Ltd (MNDY) closed down more than -1% after Bank of America Global Research downgraded the stock to neutral from buy.
Packaging stocks rose Thursday after Barclays said the announced closures of International Paper plants will reduce US containerboard capacity by about 2.5%. As a result, Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) closed up more than +6%, Smurfit WestRock (SW) closed up more than +4%, and International Paper (IP) closed up more than +2%.
PDD Holdings (PDD) closed up more than +4% to lead gainers in the Nasdaq 100 on bullish optimism for Chinese stocks after the Shanghai Composite rallied to a 10-year high today.
Nordson (NDSN) closed up +3% after reporting Q3 sales of $741.5 million, stronger than the consensus of $722.3 million.
Hewlett-Packard Enterprise (HPE) closed up more than +3% after Morgan Stanley upgraded the stock to overweight from equal weight with a price target of $28.
Dayforce (DAY) closed up more than +2% after Thoma Bravo agreed to buy the company for $12.3 billion, or about $70 a share.
Humana (HUM) closed up more than +1% after RBC Capital Markets raised its price target on the stock to $322 from $283.
Earnings Reports(8/22/2025)
BJ’s Wholesale Club Holdings Inc (BJ), Buckle Inc/The (BKE), New Fortress Energy Inc (NFE), Ubiquiti Inc (UI).
On the date of publication, Rich Asplund did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

Stocks Settle Lower as Bond Yields Rise on Hawkish Fed Comments

ZTO Express ZTO reported second-quarter 2025 earnings of 35 cents per share, which declined from the year-ago quarter. Total revenues of $1.65 billion improved year over year.
Based on current market and operating conditions, ZTO Express lowered its 2025 parcel volume guidance to the range of 38.8 billion to 40.1 billion (reflecting 14-18% year-over-year growth) from the previously guided range of 40.8 billion to 42.2 billion (reflecting20-24% year-over-year growth).
ZTO Express (Cayman) Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Mr. Meisong Lai, founder, chairman and chief executive officer at ZTO, stated, "During the second quarter, ZTO further narrowed the gap to industry average growth rate despite continued industry mix-shift towards lower unit economics. Supported by leading service quality, we achieved over 9.8 billion parcels and delivered 2.1 billion of adjusted net income. Retail volume's growth momentum remained strong at over 50% than last year and it contributed positively to overall margin."
Detailed Operational Statistics
Revenues from the core express delivery business increased 11% year over year, owing to 16.5% growth in parcel volume offset by a 4.7% decrease in parcel unit price. KA revenues, generated by direct sales organizations, increased 149.7% owing to an increase in e-commerce return parcels.
Revenue from freight forwarding services fell 22.7% year over year.
Revenue from sales of accessories, which largely consisted of sales of thermal paper used for digital waybills' printing, rose 9.5% year over year. Other revenues were derived mainly from financing services.
Gross profit decreased 18.7% from the year-ago reported quarter. Gross margin rate fell to 24.9% from 33.8% in the year-ago period.
Total operating expenses were RMB469.3 million ($65.5 million) compared with RMB405.3 million in the year-ago period.
ZTO Express exited the second quarter of 2025 with cash and cash equivalents of $1.85 billion compared with $1.71 billion at the end of the prior quarter.
Currently, ZTO Express carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
Q2 Performances of Other Transportation Companies
Delta Air Lines (DAL) reported second-quarter 2025 earnings (excluding $1.17 per share from non-recurring items) of $2.10 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.04. Earnings decreased 11% on a year-over-year basis due to high labor costs.
Revenues in the June-end quarter were $16.65 billion, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $16.2 billion and decreasing marginally on a year-over-year basis. Adjusted operating revenues (excluding third-party refinery sales) increased 1% year over year to $15.5 billion.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT) reported second-quarter 2025 earnings of $1.31 per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.34 and declined 0.8% year over year.
Total operating revenues of $2.93 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.94 billion and were flat year over year. JBHT’s second-quarter revenue performance witnessed a 6% increase in Intermodal (JBI) loads, a 13% increase in Truckload (JBT) loads, a 3% increase in Dedicated Contract Services (DCS) productivity and a 6% increase in Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS) revenue per load. These items were offset by Final Mile Services revenue declining 10%, lower revenue per load in both JBI and JBT, a 9% decrease in ICS load volume and a 3% decline in average trucks in DCS. Total operating revenues, excluding fuel surcharge revenue, increased 1% on a year-over-year basis.
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) reported mixed second-quarter 2025 results wherein the company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but revenues missed the same.
UAL's second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share of $3.87 surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny but declined 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. The reported figure lies within the guided range of $3.25-$4.25.
Operating revenues of $15.2 billion fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.4 billion but increased 1.7% year over year. Passenger revenues (which accounted for 90.8% of the top line) increased 1.1% year over year to $13.8 billion. UAL flights transported 46,186 passengers in the second quarter, up 4.1% year over year.
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ZTO Express Q2 Earnings Down Y/Y, 2025 Parcel Volume View Lowered

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. (ZIM) reported disappointing second-quarter 2025 results, wherein both earnings and revenues missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Quarterly earnings of 19 cents per share lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.50 and declined 93.8% on a year-over-year basis.
Revenues of $1.63 billion lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.76 billion and declined 15.3% from the year-ago quarter. The downside was due to the decrease in freight rates and carried volume.
Carried volume in the second quarter decreased 6% year over year to 895 thousand TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units). Average freight rate per TEU in the second quarter decreased 12% year over year to $1,479.
Eli Glickman, ZIM's president and chief executive officer, stated, “Amid market disruptions and volatility, we continued to leverage our upscaled capacity and improved cost structure in Q2. In this highly uncertain market environment, our focus is controlling what we can to position ZIM for sustainable and profitable growth over the long term."
Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter was $472 million, down 38% on a year-over-year basis. Adjusted EBITDA margins for the second quarter of 2025 fell to 29% from 40% in the year-ago quarter.
Adjusted EBIT was $149 million in the second quarter of 2025 compared with $488 million in the year-ago quarter. Adjusted EBIT margins in the second quarter of 2025 fell to 9% from 25% in the year-ago quarter.
Despite the disappointing aforesaid quarterly numbers, ZIM increased the midpoints of its 2025 guidance ranges. For 2025, ZIM now expects to generate adjusted EBITDA between $1.8 billion and $2.2 billion (prior view: $1.6 billion and $2.2 billion) and adjusted EBIT between $550 million and $950 million (prior view: $350 million and $950 million).
Currently, ZIM carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Liquidity
ZIM exited the second quarter with cash and cash equivalents of $1.18 billion compared with $1.54 billion at the end of the previous quarter.
ZIM generated $441 million of cash from operating activities in the second quarter of 2025. Capital expenditures totaled $24 million for the reported quarter. Free cash flow was $426 million.
ZIM’s Second-Quarter 2025 Dividend
ZIM’s board of directors declared a regular cash dividend of approximately $7 million, or 6 cents per ordinary share, reflecting almost 30% of second-quarter 2025 net income. The dividend will be paid on Sept. 9, 2025, to shareholders of record as of Sept. 2, 2025.
Q2 Performances of Other Transportation Companies
Delta Air Lines (DAL) reported second-quarter 2025 earnings (excluding $1.17 per share from non-recurring items) of $2.10 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.04. Earnings decreased 11% on a year-over-year basis due to high labor costs.
Revenues in the June-end quarter were $16.65 billion, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $16.2 billion and decreasing marginally on a year-over-year basis. Adjusted operating revenues (excluding third-party refinery sales) increased 1% year over year to $15.5 billion.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services, Inc. (JBHT) reported second-quarter 2025 earnings of $1.31 per share, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.34 and declined 0.8% year over year.
Total operating revenues of $2.93 billion missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.94 billion and were flat year over year. JBHT’s second-quarter revenue performance witnessed a 6% increase in Intermodal (JBI) loads, a 13% increase in Truckload (JBT) loads, a 3% increase in Dedicated Contract Services (DCS) productivity and a 6% increase in Integrated Capacity Solutions (ICS) revenue per load. These items were offset by Final Mile Services revenue declining 10%, lower revenue per load in both JBI and JBT, a 9% decrease in ICS load volume and a 3% decline in average trucks in DCS. Total operating revenues, excluding fuel surcharge revenue, increased 1% on a year-over-year basis.
United Airlines Holdings, Inc. (UAL) reported mixed second-quarter 2025 results wherein the company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate, but revenues missed the same.
UAL's second-quarter 2025 adjusted earnings per share of $3.87 surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny but declined 6.5% on a year-over-year basis. The reported figure lies within the guided range of $3.25-$4.25.
Operating revenues of $15.2 billion fell short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $15.4 billion but increased 1.7% year over year. Passenger revenues (which accounted for 90.8% of the top line) increased 1.1% year over year to $13.8 billion. UAL flights transported 46,186 passengers in the second quarter, up 4.1% year over year.
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United Airlines Holdings, Inc.

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